Shell Shocked

Have you ever signed up for something and then realize when it was over that, had you known what you were signing yourself up for in advance, you would have never signed up for it in the first place?

Yeah. That's what Advanced Operating Systems at USC taught by Professor Neuman is like.

Don't get me wrong. I actually *liked* and *enjoyed* the class, even though operating systems is not my strong suit. And Professor Neuman is awesome. The running joke among a few of us is that Professor Neuman can cause a lightbulb to spontaneously light up through sheer enthusiasm and mental brilliance. He's that good.

But had I known in advance that the open book, open note final would involve two 3" binders full of papers we had to read, the actual textbook for the class, my own notes and the slides from class, I think I might have passed. Or questioned my sanity.

For future reference, if you take this course from Professor Neuman, be prepared to learn a lot about distributed operating systems. Neuman is God when it comes to this and computer security. Yes. Try taking a class from God. The brain cannot get any fuller than this, and there is no dial past 11.

If you do take this course from Professor Neuman, here is a list of the readings to pay particular attention to:

Any paper on Kerberos or Prospero.
The Cheriton and Lampson papers are especially "good for you".
Neuman's paper on Scale in Distributed Systems was nicknamed in my class "The Magic Paper". Much knowledge is to be gleaned from this. Read this paper even before you take the midterm.
The Fault Tolerance and Mach papers are "good for you" as well.

When you take the final, for God's sake please print out a copy of your reading reports. They came in handy as I didn't have to re-lookup many of my answers. Also, for the design problem, a lot of people seem to get hung up on details. The specifics of the problem description are only there to provide some context for solving it. You can't completely forsee or solve every problem this system is going to have in the 30 or so minutes you have to solve it. The point is can you get the broad strokes of the solution and convey them in a way to the grader to show that you have an understanding of the course material. Your solution doesn't have to be "right", but you do need to justify your decisions in a way that "makes sense".

Anyway, in a way I'm sad the class is over. I look forward to taking Computer Security with Neuman next Fall.

Grad School - Just What Did I Sign Myself Up For?

I know this was not going to be easy. But I'm up for challenges, and I'm up for completing goals I set for myself.

I knew in advance that I would probably have to rearrange my leisurely summer schedule to accommodate the extra reading and coding (depending on the class) I would need to do in order to complete the course requirements for this degree.

But holy crap. At least 80 pages of technical papers (not including the papers on how to read technical papers and write research papers), plus 4-5 chapters of textbook before Friday afternoon? Just what did I get myself into?

OK, at least the "Implementing Remote Procedure Calls" paper sounds like fun to read. Am I so disturbed?

I'm going to have to learn some mad speed reading skills or something to get this accomplished. Either that or just not sleep for the next 15 weeks.

If anyone out there has any hints or tips, please leave a comment. Even if it's funny. :-P

Note Organization

When I took my algorithms class last semester (Spring 2009) I bought a nice little Moleskine notebook to put my notes in. And then I proceeded to go overboard with my note-taking.
I left a few pages in the front blank, to later serve as a table of contents. As the semester wore on, I would number the pages, and then go to the contents page to put the topic of the lecture (sometimes there were two or three) and the page number you could find it on. I took it a step further when I included homework assignments and pasted in the given solutions.

As the semester progressed, I kept up with this psychotic scheme. It actually did come in handy once or twice when I was studying (cramming?) for the final. It was really nice to just look up a topic by going to the table of contents and then flip to the page where the notes were located. But I slacked on keeping up with the homeworks (they weren't mandatory). Because I have a good half of the notebook to fill, I need to paste in the remaining homework solutions into the book before the first lecture of my next class starts tomorrow night. For completeness.

Don't think I'm so crazy. I earned an A- in the class. If I hadn't been so stressed the week of finals, I definitely believe I would have earned an A.

If only the rest of my life could be so organized.

Women In Computer Science

What Has Driven Women Out Of Computer Science

(I found this article on Slashdot today)

I think these researchers have it wrong. It's not games.

When I was in high school, they made us take all these aptitude tests to find out what kind of job we would be suited for. I thought it was kind of fascinating and probably sparked my interest in personality tests.

Anyway, the test came back and said I was well-suited to be an engineer. My dad really wanted me to go to Tech, and it was the most-viable out-of-state solution I could have gone with (since Dad said even if I was accepted to MIT I couldn't go because we couldn't afford it). He wanted me to go into environmental engineering, which I just wasn't into. But they had software engineering as a major and I thought, "Hey, I took a programming class in high school and that was fun, let's do that."

I was bored in that programming class in high school because I could get a week-long assignment done in an hour. But it was something that I was good at and it was fun to see immediately if your idea worked or not.

I never said to myself, "Gee, I played with Barbie dolls as a child, I shouldn't go into a math or science field."

If you want to know why women get scared out of computer science, just read the comments in the Slashdot article. I don't think it's as simple as socially-undeveloped men scaring women, because engineers and scientists are just as socially-undeveloped. Plus, the women I saw majoring in engineering and science tend to not be like the women who majored in, say, nursing.

You want to know what really intimidated me in college re: my major? I had a bad professor who made everyone feel like an idiot. I know a lot of people in my class dropped out or transferred after his Discrete Structures class. Granted, a lot of people probably would have dropped out after Discrete Structures anyway (it's hard and brain-hurting at times), but there was a girl who was doing the best out of the entire class who transferred to Bozeman to study something else. Going through a couple of classes with that guy wasn't really conducive to learning.

Obviously this was just a case of one, but I would bet there are assholes everywhere.

Computer science is a hard enough field to study, the people teaching it (and sometimes the people learning it) don't need to make it harder.

Hellman Article on Nuclear Weapons

Hellman is one of the inventors of the Diffie-Hellman key exchange protocol, used in public-key cryptography. He wrote an down-to-earth article about nuclear warfare that's straight-forward and easy to read. Then posted it on Slashdot.

I have to admit I skimmed the article.

Go Learn Something!

Stanford Engineering Everywhere
DeviceGuru - Stanford offers free CS, Robotics courses

Cool! Wanna see what Computer Science is all about? Take a free course from Stanford! It would be nearly identical to the course that's offered in-the-flesh on campus, plus you'll get to see if Computer Science is something you want to delve into further.

In the perfect world I envision in my head, learning would be free. This is a step towards that.

Secure Your Gmail

Gmail Account Hacking Tool
Official Gmail Blog: Making Security Easier

Securing your gmail account is easy. Just do it.

Log in -> Settings -> Browser Connection (at the bottom) -> Always Use https

Shooting The Messenger

I've been keeping quiet about this for a while, but now I feel I should mention it.

Judge orders halt to Defcon speech on subway card hacking
Vulnerability Assessment Report

This whole business of corporations suing people who discover their security problems is retarded. That's right, I used the 'r' word. People who discover security problems and share it with "the good guys" should be rewarded for their ingenuity and hard work. Because if they've discovered security vulnerabilities, you can bet "the bad guys" have too.

The bad guys aren't going to be nice and let the good guys in on their secrets.

Edited to add:
Even more important than a way to ride the metro for free, here is the case of shooting the messenger involving the DNS vulnerability. And this guy even tried to do the right thing about it.

Unix Socket Programming Woes

I just spent a day and a half trying to figure something out.

I think I'm going to buy the late Richard Steven's book, Unix Network Programming: Sockets API because of this. I think if I had that book I could have saved myself some time.

Point is, my problem is that I was trying to set up a dynamically created TCP port, using getsockname() to figure out what that port number was. The trouble was that I kept getting 0 back as the port number, even though I was still able to connect to the host. Any port lower than 1024 (I think it's 1024) is reserved for the Operating System, so I was baffled why it was still working when it shouldn't have.

Solution: call getsockname() AFTER you connect to the host. Then you get the right port #.

I feel like such an idiot. I wish the man pages could give some clue about the right order to call this stuff in. (My fork() calls were so much easier to figure out!)

What Am I Doing?

I'm awake, way too late on a week night, wondering what I'm doing with my life in general.

I'm not a computer science whiz kid, never have been. I like the concepts, and I like execution of concepts and coding in general, but not necessarily at the speed required by professors. Computer security fascinates me in general and cryptanalysis specifically.

I'm taking a class that would put me on track to start on a Master's of Science. Why? I don't really know anymore. It seems like the right thing to do. If I do this I'll be giving up most of my free time for the next four years.

That is, if I still have my job for the next four years. With this economy who knows what will happen?

By the way, the reason why I'm up so late is because I took a nap earlier today so I could do the homework that's due on Wednesday (really tomorrow) for class. I already feel like a hermit with no friends and no life. Am I going to wake up in 4 years, just a few months shy of 30, and feel the same way? I've always felt somewhat of an outcast, but this isn't really where I saw myself.

I want a great love, and I want a career where I feel I'm not prostituting myself for the cash or the benefits. To love the work for the sake of it. I want the time and energy to put into the hobbies I enjoy. Somewhere along the line I feel like I must have wandered someplace extremely wrong, because I have none of those things. And sadder still, I have no idea how I'm going to get those things.

I'm in dire fear of becoming just ordinary.

Beer-To-Beer Networking

I'm taking a Computer Networking class online. It's one of the pre-reqs I have to take if I want to go to grad school for computer science.

I tried taking this course when I was earning my undergrad but I got intimidated easily and withdrew from the class. I didn't understand the book at all, and even though I respected and like the professor immensely I knew the class would be hard and I didn't know if I had the intellectual 'manna' to make it through the class with sanity intact.

I was really intimidated about taking this course, even though the concepts covered would be really useful at work.

But it turns out that I'm understanding what's going on in class and the professor doesn't seem to be an evil demon. He's actually pretty funny. He speaks with an accent and makes a lot of little jokes based on wordplay and how he knows his voice comes across to an audience.

"There is no 'sweet' in this class. Only 'suite'."

"I said 'peer-to-peer'. There is no 'beer-to-beer' networking in this class."

Not that I was ever good at beer-to-beer networking, but I know several people who could get an 'A' in a course focused on that!

Cool!

Five Ways Generation Y May Reinvent IT

Depending on how you look at it, I could be considered a Generation X or a Generation Y, although I'm closer to Generation Y than X. I fall on the Generation Y side of the cusp.

It's rare to find an article that talks about my generation, the group of people I belong to when you look at my age and what's going on with my life, in a positive light.

The idea that I'm part of something pivotal and culturally changing (for the better) is self-empowering.

The REAL Reason to Use Linux

Because it's fun. :)

On Air Travel and Security

It pays to be a well-informed traveler these days, especially when you're travelling by air.

Standing in line at the airport is one of everyone's least favorite parts of the trip. Take your shoes, your jacket, and your belt off. Empty your pockets. Go through the metal detector. Put all your stuff back where it originally was. If you're special they also go through your luggage. Nice.

3-1-1 Rules
Permitted and Prohibited Items

Basically, save all those mini-toothpaste tubes from the dentist, and forget bringing that huge bottle of contact lens cleaner with you. I'm fairly certain that it's best not to bring anything at all with you, but that's a little impractical. Theoretically, you could bring that big liter-size shampoo bottle with you, but I can imagine getting harassed for it.

I'm really fond of Bruce Schneier's work, and I admire his opinions on security issues. He publishes Crypto-Gram Newsletter every month, which I receive via e-mail. He finds a lot of interesting news articles and comments on why things are as innane as they are. He also writes a lot of essays and op-eds for a variety of magazines, e-zines, newspapers, etc. Here are some of my favorite articles he's written concerning airport security:
Why Everyone Must Be Screened
Let Computers Screen Air Baggage
Airplane Security and Metal Knives
Homeland Insecurity

And just for you, religious guerilla rebels, from his blog:
Why Terrorism Doesn't Work

Americans seem to be really focused on "fixing-the-symptom" rather than "fixing-the-cause" when it comes to the war on terror, and pretty much everything else in general. This makes me really sad. How do you turn a nation from being short-sighted and hedonistic to long-sighted and abstemious? Any ideas?

While I enjoy reading Schneier, I don't own any of his books. Not even Applied Cryptography (which now comes in a Schneier's Cryptography Library mega edition). I weep at the gaping crater in my overflowing library.

On New Computer Interfaces

I stumbled across this while reading a thread on Slashdot regarding the "soap" mouse (basically, an optical mouse contained within a "sleeve" of jersey-weight fabric, so it would slip like a bar of soap and you can use it to manipulate the pointer on a screen).

Anyway, I do believe that there are some great innovations in human-computer interaction these days. I find that one of the more fascinating "higher level" things that are going on in computer science. Are some of these new innovations impractical? Of course. Not every new invention or way of doing something is going to adopted in the next generation of applications/hardware. Not every piece of hardware is refined enough at first draft to have a "cool, sleek" look.

Do you remember when DVD players first came out? I certainly do. I remember saving a crapload of money to buy this $300 machine that was larger than my parents' VHS player. Now you have these tiny, refined, DVD players that include a small screen. You can fit probably 8 of these in the space that original clunky DVD player took up.

I think the Wii has one of the most innovative, original HCI controls, despite its flaws. Whatever device the Wii controller spawns (or 3rd or 4th generation device) may or may not be an improvement over the current controller. There are many roads to Rome.

I see a lot of potential for the soap mouse, and not just for gaming. Imagine an extension of the little clicky thing some professors use on their powerpoint presentations. Now imagine they can access the entire desktop in their lecture.

Dressed to Repress

Amusing Things

A friend of mine noticed this first, and I'm starting to pick up on it too.

The basic theory is this: whenever a female who normally dresses "engineer style" (t-shirt/blouse and jeans), wears something "unexpected" (anything not t-shirt and jeans), coworkers will not only notice but comment on it. I think it's mostly a "trying to socialize and be nice" kind of thing, but it's really awkward. Sometimes girls just like to dress up!

Maybe it's because the changes aren't really subtle. Patent Red Heels vs. Sketchers sneakers will do that. Wearing hair down vs. up will do that.

Unfortunately I don't think there's a "middle ground" women can dress to, if they want to dress a little better than jeans but don't want to break out the nice suit. I even think most women get "business casual" wrong. I think I commented on this before. It's almost like "business casual" is somewhere between a business suit and party clothes.

It's a bizarre catch-22. She doesn't want to dress schlumpy because she's female, yet if she starts to "dress better" she gets comments she doesn't really want. (OK, to be honest, it's great getting complimented! But it's not why I go to work.) So she either tells everyone to not comment on her appearance (getting her labeled the crazy woman of the office), or goes back to dressing schlumpy (it's the path of least resistance).

Hey, at least dressing schlumpy is a little less painful on the pocketbook. And there are some cool t-shirts out there!

We start because we want to be known for something other than our appearance (and to avoid unwanted male attention). We continue because we can't handle the male attention we get.

Math For Programmers

I stumbed across this today and thought it was fascinating enough to share.

Dream Forging

What's in a dream?

In my childhood, the dream was to go to college and graduate. Unfortunately I didn't realize until quite late in my college career that I needed to forge a new dream. One of the new dreams I tried to forge - a military career - faltered.
While I'm not quite faltering now - I do have a good job with an excellent company - I feel like I'm wandering in fog. I'm not quite sure what I want to do with my career. The "big picture" goal seems to be: "Make enough money to live comfortably and afford trips to places I've never been before". That seems lacking.
My new sweetheart mentioned that a "five-year plan" is much more effective in setting-and-reaching goals. How Mao!

The current 5-year-plan seems to be, "Earn a Master's Degree". Unfortunately, I'm not sure I know what I want to study. I've thought about USC's M.S. in C.S., specializing in Computer Security (because I want to take their cryptology class), but I wonder if that's "too challenging" to take on with a full-time job and hobbies to boot. I'd like to retain some of my sanity. The other option I was thinking about was earning my M.B.A., but I'm not sure if I want to become a manager.

I have financial and personal life goals in my 5-year-plan too, but I think I have the game plan for those worked out, although my financial goals aren't making as much progress as quickly as I'd like.

Life definitely does its best to crush idealism in full bloom, does it not? It would be so much easier to save money if so much didn't get allocated to essential things, like rent and bills.

When I moved to L.A. one of the "hot" things to wear was the kimono dress, and Geren Ford makes an excellent silk one that was popular with the fashionistas. Unfortunately list price for one is $300+, depending on where you shop. My thinking was, if I can do well enough for myself that I can afford that dress, I will be doing fantastic. Owning that dress would be a symbol of my success in L.A., and my new-found life. The other day I found a black one for $150, on Maneater Threads. I bought it because it was on sale and because I could afford to. (It arrives in the mail today, so I'm not sure how smokin' I would look in it) Are my financial goals hurting because of it? Most probably.

I'm not hurting for money. Lots of people live on less than I do (and in the town I live in), and do just fine. But to make my financial goals I need to learn how to spend less money. I'd like to be able to start investing in the stock market. I'd like to be able to buy a new, fuel-efficient, reliable car with "sexy factor" (the Toyota Solara is a close match). I'd like to be able to own property someday. Maybe (most probably) not a mansion on a hill, but at least a quaint townhome in a safe neighborhood, with a place to park my car off the street.

I think most of my financial frustrations come from me expecting too much of myself. But I also think that's because I'm copping out and I should really say, "I spend too much on pretty things and need to learn to spend less."

I Want To Work for NetFlix!

Vacation Policy at NetFlix

Say What, Mr. Gates?

Gates Warns on U.S. Immigration Curbs

In the same speech before the Senate committee on health, education, labor and pensions, Gates says the following:

“It makes no sense to tell well-trained, highly skilled individuals, many of whom are educated at our top colleges and universities, that the United States does not welcome or value them,”

and

“America cannot maintain its innovation leadership if it does not educate world-class innovators and train its workforce to use innovations effectively. Unfort­unately, available data suggest that we are failing to do so . . . especially in our high schools.”

So our institutions of higher learning are capable of producing well-trained, highly skilled individuals, but none of our USA-born high school graduates are attending these great schools? Is that what he's saying?

Let's also mention that, if Mr. Gates was so concerned with being unable to hire people to work for his States-side facilities, he also has sites all over the world, including sites in India, China, Hong Kong, and Japan. Abu Typesthecode in India can write the same snippet of code that will do "something" in Vista that Joe Coder in Seattle can. Microsoft is a big enough corporation that, aside from manufacturing concerns, where you do your work in the world doesn't matter as long as the work gets done.

Maybe if Mr. Gates would pull his head out of the clouds he could see about doing something to really improve this country's problems regarding education, rather than complain about not being able to find (or retain!) a quality workforce. When I graduated college I didn't have program managers beating down my door to find me, even though it seemed like everyone was saying software engineers were in high demand.

Oh but wait. Doing something productive regarding education would cost money. Precisely what he's trying to save by "fixing" immigration.